Deeper, Beneath the Surface

Beneath the Surface, Wentworth Woodhouse’s biggest exhibition to date, brought together paintings by George Stubbs alongside works by nine contemporary artists from the UK and Europe, living and working today. The exhibition compared and contrasted the historical with the contemporary, finding connections and conversations between works of art. As Stubbs delved inside the bodies of horses to find out how muscle, bone and sinew shapes their anatomies, the contemporary artists went ‘beneath the surface’ in other ways.

Stubbs spent ‘some time’ at Wentworth Woodhouse in 1762, occupying a role that could be seen as similar to artists in residence that occupy contemporary arts spaces today. During his time at Wentworth Woodhouse he produced paintings that are recognised as being hugely significant in the history of English art, including the famous Whistlejacket. Wentworth Woodhouse wanted to celebrate Stubbs as a local hero and reinforce that really great art has been made in Rotherham — and continues to do so today.

Over 300 years after Stubbs worked here, Wentworth Woodhouse has invited Cait Earnshaw, an artist / designer from Rotherham, to serve as their young artist in residence. Cait collaborated with students from Wales High School to create new work and curate this new exhibition, in response to Beneath the Surface.

Through workshops and interviews, Cait explored language, connection and dialogue using words, humour and conversation, in response to Beneath the Surface. By experimenting with typewritten pieces, letterpress printing and the cut-up technique among other analogue processes, she also aimed to explore the relationship between new and old, and create a conversation between past and present, as in Beneath the Surface.

–

Exhibition Details:

Deeper Beneath the Surface: Cait Earnshaw

Preview: 13 May 2025, 17:30 – 18:30

Exhibition Open : 13 May – 22 June 2025

Wentworth Woodhouse

Rotherham

S62 7TQ